Record numbers hit shops

Shopping centres and stores across the South-East have claimed record numbers of bargain hunters following the earliest start to the New Year sales.

Shoppers have turned out by the million, often queuing for hours in near freezing conditions, to snap up discounts of up to 90 per cent on everything from DVDs to winter coats.

One West End store said it was "mobbed" on the first day of its sale and there were even reports of fights in some shops over the bargains.

The early start to the sales - with record numbers of stores opening on Boxing Day - came after a grim Christmas for the High Street as many chains resorted to heavy discounting to kick-start slow trading in mid-December.

With Britons saddled with record levels of personal debt and fear of more interest rate rises on the way, analysts said shoppers are far more clever at playing the sales game, waiting until stores are forced to cut prices before opening their wallets. Some have even been getting in early Christmas shopping for next year with halfprice cards and wrapping paper selling well.

However, early figures show that Boxing Day trading was down 1.2 per cent on last year, despite the pictures of heaving shopping centre car parks and crowded high streets.

David Southwell of the British Retail Consortium said: "One of the trends this year more than in previous ones has been people looking for value for money.

"There will be people who will play a game of chicken with retailers to wait to see what they will be able to get in the sales. This year the quality of what is available in the sales is very high because of the high amount of stock retailers have left over."

Harrods and Gucci are among the big names to join the sales today. Stores such as Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Emporio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana have already slashed prices on luxury goods to attract shoppers. High street chains Gap, French Connection, H&M, Dorothy Perkins and M&S have followed. WEST END shopping bargains lured shoppers into the centre of town.

Annie Walker, of the Regent Street Association, said: "It's been incredibly busy, even on Sunday. I am quite surprised there are so many people out. John Lewis and Hamleys in particular have been packed." At Selfridges, up to £3 million worth of sales

were made on Boxing Day as 120,000 shoppers visited.

The revolving doors at the front of the Oxford Street store jammed as it opened for the first time on 26 December. One entrance had to be closed because of over congestion and more than 500 people queued outside the Gucci shop.

Chief Executive of Selfridges Peter Williams said the sale figures were just ahead of last year's.

"All the main designer shops were very popular, with Gucci and Prada offering many items at half price," he said. "We were mobbed when we opened on Boxing Day."

Harvey Nichols spokesman Richard Gray said the sales had caused tensions among shoppers. "On the first day there was a fight between two women who both wanted the last remaining pair of YSL gold wedge shoes which were down from £350 to £120. Our security staff had to split them up.

"But they're not just buying reduced stock," he added. "The new season's stock, which is full-priced, is selling very well as well." John Lewis spokeswoman Lisa Andrews said: "There has been a real buzz in Oxford Street. It has been consistently busy all day. Lots of people have had money and vouchers to spend from Christmas."

Tim Pulman, store manager of Allders on Oxford Street, said: "It is very busy. I am amazed by how many people have turned out.

"When I looked out of the door, I had not seen as many people out in the street apart from on the day of the England rugby team's parade.

Hamish Thompson, of electrical retailing group Dixons - which owns Dixons, Currys, The Link and PC World - also believed the sales had gone well. He said: "Store managers are telling us about a lot of activity across the country."

An HMV spokesman revealed it has been "the busiest post-Christmas period I can remember".

Managers at BRENT CROSS in north London said it was one of its busiest weekends ever. "I think we'll probably have a record sales take for the post-Christmas sales this year. We had way more than 100,000 people on Saturday and about 85,000 on Sunday, when we were open for fewer hours", said the centre's head of marketing, Norman Black.

"We had good pre-Christmas sales as well and I think shoppers then had half an eye on the goods that would be on sale afterwards. Back then they came here to buy for other people; now with discounts on offer they are coming for themselves." The 8,000-space car park was full on both days, Mr Black added.

At the huge BLUEWATER centre in Kent records were also being broken.

Spokesman Alan Jones said: "It is looking like it is going to be a record year here." He predicted December sales were likely to be 10 per cent higher than last year.

An informal count of cars in the shopping centre's car park suggested there were almost 200,000 visitors - a record number - both yesterday and Saturday.

There was a surge in clothes buying compared with before Christmas after retailers discounted most of their stock by 50 per cent.

Mike Stevens of the HARLEQUIN CENTRE in Watford said the post-Christmas record crowds of 180,000 seen over the weekend reflected the new trend of delayed spending.

"I think it's a new phenomenon that, particularly with fashion items, shoppers are holding off because they know they can get a better deal nearer or even after Christmas."